An adaptive structured optimum receiver for target detection in the presence of clutter

A structured receiver that maintains optimality within the limits imposed by that structure in a changing clutter environment is considered for the detection of a Swerling 1 target. The receiver is adaptive in the sense that the decision scheme effectively responds to changes in the clutter statistics. Performance evaluation studies indicate that the proposed adaptive receiver, using MEM-based spectral analysis, can operate satisfactorily with as few as 16 hits per scan.